The most imposing monuments of Egypt are the pyramids of El Gizeh. The largest of these is the pyramid of Cheops. This is 480 feet high, and contains more than ten millions of cubic yards of stone. The pyramid is so placed that its four sides exactly face the four points of the compass. The pyramids were probably great tombs. At the foot of the pyramids is the great Sphinx. This is a monument of a man-headed lion, nearly ninety feet long and seventy-four feet high. Its face is twenty-six feet long. It is carved out of solid rock. This great Sphinx is said to be the image of the god Har-ma-chu, the setting sun. Between the two front paws of the Sphinx was placed a small chapel, consecrated to the god. As Ampére says: “This huge, mutilated figure has an astonishing effect; it seems like an eternal spectre. The stone phantom seems attentive; one would say that it hears and sees. Its great ear appears to collect the sounds of the past; its eye, directed to the east, gazes as it were into the future; its aspect has a depth, a truth of expression, irresistibly fascinating to the spectator. In this figure, half statue, half mountain, we see a wonderful majesty, a grand serenity, and even a sort of sweetness of expression.” There was much of majestic beauty about the Egyptian religion and worship, but there was mixed with it a mass of debasing superstition. When King Cambyses of Persia conquered Egypt, and the supremacy of the world passed out of Egypt’s hands, the downfall of its religion commenced. The religion of the conquerors was mingled with their own. After some hundreds of years, Christianity was spread over all north Africa and up the Nile. Then in the year 639, after Christ, Mohammedanism conquered Egypt. This religion continues to predominate in Egypt. CHAPTER VI. THE CHALDEANS.[2] At that time the heaven above was unnamed, In the earth beneath a name was unrecorded; Chaos, too, was unopened around them. By name the mother Tihamtu, [the Deep] was the begetter of them all. Their waters in one place were not embosomed, and The fruitful herb was uncollected, the marsh-plant ungrown. At that time the gods [stars] were not made to go; none of them by name were recorded; order was not among them. Then were made the great gods; and these Lakhmu and Lakhamu caused to go; until they were grown they nurtured them. The gods Assur and Kissar were made by their hands, A length of days, a long time passed, and the gods Anu, Bel and Hea were created; the gods Assur and Kissar begat them. FROM THE CHALDEAN (CUNEIFORM) CREATION TABLETS. In the Tigro-Euphrates Valley, or basin, as it is called, the commencement of the history of man is placed.